Strategic Regional Readiness to Enable Resilience of Mesoamerica’s 5 Great Forests and Communities

The document outlines a 24-month readiness project requesting USD 1,312,296 to support eight Central American countries in developing a regional GCF concept note. The initiative targets the protection of the 'Five Great Forests'—transboundary forest systems spanning from Mexico to Colombia—by addressing illegal cattle ranching, strengthening Indigenous land tenure, and aligning national climate strategies (NDCs). Key activities include stakeholder mapping, vulnerability assessments for Indigenous Peoples, the creation of a land tenure database, and the development of economic models for forest-based livelihoods.

• Mesoamerica's Five Great Forests—the Maya Forest, Moskitia, Indio Maíz-Tortuguero, Talamanca Region, and Darien—are critical for regional climate security, supporting approximately 500,000 Indigenous, afro-descendant, and mestizo people.
• Since 2000, three of the five great forests have decreased in size by more than 23%, with illegal cattle ranching accounting for 90% of this deforestation.
• Central America is identified as one of the most climate-vulnerable regions globally, with Honduras ranked as the most affected country between 1976 and 2016, followed by Nicaragua (fourth) and the Dominican Republic (eighth).
• The project identifies several readiness gaps, including a lack of regional alignment of NDCs and NAMAs regarding forest conservation and insufficient recognition of Indigenous Peoples' land tenure and resource access, particularly for women.
• A regional approach is deemed necessary because the five forests are transboundary and the primary driver of forest loss—cattle contraband—is a transboundary issue.
• The initiative aims to develop a 'Five Forests Alliance' comprising governments, civil society, and Indigenous communities to implement a coherent plan that promotes gender equality and forest-based income streams such as honey, cacao, and ecotourism.
• The project will produce a specific set of technical deliverables, including a database and interactive map of Indigenous land tenure, a report on livestock supply chains, and a technically sound regional programme concept note for the GCF.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2020). Strategic Regional Readiness to Enable Resilience of Mesoamerica’s 5 Great Forests and Communities. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/strategic-regional-readiness-enable-resilience-mesoamerica-s-5-great-forests-and-communities.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Strategic Regional Readiness to Enable Resilience of Mesoamerica’s 5 Great Forests and Communities. 2020. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/strategic-regional-readiness-enable-resilience-mesoamerica-s-5-great-forests-and-communities.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Strategic Regional Readiness to Enable Resilience of Mesoamerica’s 5 Great Forests and Communities |date=7 August 2020 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/strategic-regional-readiness-enable-resilience-mesoamerica-s-5-great-forests-and-communities.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2020strategic, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Strategic Regional Readiness to Enable Resilience of Mesoamerica’s 5 Great Forests and Communities}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/strategic-regional-readiness-enable-resilience-mesoamerica-s-5-great-forests-and-communities.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }